Friday Object “1st Class Fried Fish Bones (Herring)”

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This object was made as part of the action ‘Friday Object “First Class Fried Fish Bones”’, performed with Daniel Spoerri at the Eat Art Galerie in Düsseldorf on Friday 30 October, 1970. As the title suggests, the object makes reference to the crucifixion of Christ (whose symbol was the fish), to the act of penance and to the elevation of overlooked and usually discarded objects (fish bones). Food was an important medium for Beuys - he made works using butter, chocolate, bread and sausage, with the inevitable decaying process an integral part of the objects he created. The works also reflect the idea of art as providing intellectual nourishment. This is one of the artist’s multiple objects, from a relatively small edition of twenty-five.

Details

Acc. No.GMA 4554

MediumFishbone and greaseproof paper, in a glass-fronted wooden box

Size30.50 x 11.50 x 6.50 cm

CreditPurchased with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund and The Art Fund 2002

Joseph Beuys (German, 1921 - 1986)

German artist Beuys believed that art was integral to everyday life. His own art was shaped by an experience early in his life. As a Luftwaffe pilot during the war, Beuys was shot down over the Crimea and was saved by nomadic Tartars. Barely alive, he was wrapped in felt and fat which preserved his body heat, and taken to safety on sledges pulled by dogs. This incident, and these particular elements, informed much of his art, which has a redemptive, mystical and ritualistic character. Central to his work were his 'Actions', which involved teaching, audience discussion and performance. The recurrent themes were social and political. Associated with the ecological movement - he was a founder member of the Green Party - he also had a strong influence on German politics.